The invention relates to an X-ray system which includes a patient table and a radiation module with an X-ray source and radiation receiver and serves to form an X-ray image of a patient.
It is known that practically any organ of a patient can be subjected to an X-ray examination. A variety of methods are known for this purpose; such methods also include, for example tomography, peripheral and stationary angiography, phlebography etc. A distinction is also made between the acquisition of single images and the imaging of motion, that is, the formation of coherent image sequences. This wide variety of possibilities is reflected in a corresponding wide variety of X-ray systems which are conceived in general, or preferably, for a respective one of these types of examination. Depending on the type of examination, a patient posture or position that is suitable for the imaging of the organ to be examined must be realized by means of the patient table, and it must also be possible to move the radiation module to the corresponding image acquisition position. Finally, the radiation module must also be suitable for the type of image acquisition.
Because, generally speaking, all types of X-ray examinations must be carried out in hospitals, different X-ray systems are required; such systems represent a significant cost factor.
The problem is worsened by the fact that the costs of the X-ray systems are increased further by the deployment of novel digital flat detectors which are comparatively expensive but offer significant advantages because of their compactness and (digital) image processing which is simpler than in the case of conventional image converters.
Therefore, it is an object of the invention to provide an X-ray system of the kind set forth which can be universally used for a significantly larger number of different X-ray examinations.
It is a further object of the invention to facilitate the desired application of new flat detectors or RandF (radiography and fluoroscopy) digital systems by providing an X-ray system which can operate very economically despite the high costs of such detectors.
The above objects are achieved by means of an X-ray system which includes a patient table and a radiation module with an X-ray source and a radiation receiver, the radiation module including a carrier which is attached to the patient table and on which the X-ray source and the radiation receiver are mounted so as to face one another, said carrier being pivotable in such a manner that the X-ray source and the X-ray receiver can be moved from a position over and under a top of the patient table (xe2x80x9covertable techniquexe2x80x9d) to a reversed position under and over the table top, respectively (xe2x80x9cundertable techniquexe2x80x9d).
This solution has a special advantage in that the X-ray system in accordance with the invention can be simply adjusted in conformity with the type of organ to be imaged and with the examination to be carried out, and hence can be universally used for a number of different examinations which is significantly larger than the number enabled by known system; for example, image exposures involving oblique irradiation are also possible.
The dependent claims relate to advantageous further embodiments of the invention.
The embodiments in accordance with the claims 2 and 3 offer the advantage of a compact structural unit which can be comparatively simply assembled and adjusted.
The embodiments in accordance with the claims 5 and 6 further enhance the adjustability of the X-ray source and the X-ray receiver. A spectrum of applications which includes practically any type of X-ray examination is achieved notably in combination with the adjustability of the patient table as achieved by the embodiments disclosed in the claims 4, 8 and 9.
Finally, the embodiment in accordance with claim 7 enables separate, optimum adjustment of the X-ray source and the radiation receiver, notably in the case of lateral examinations.